Rangers target £5m midfielder amid legal dispute as January transfer ruled out for forward

The imposing 23-year-old midfielder is currently training away from the Ligue 2 outfit amid a contractual disagreement - and Rangers are now mulling over a January move for the ex-West Ham United academy product, who was linked to the club in the summer.

Originally joining the second-tier outfit on loan from Sunderland in the summer of 2024, he impressed at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard despite the club's relegation from Ligue 1, prompting Les Verts to exercise a £5million option in the deal that allowed them to make his move a permanent one.

However, reports in France suggest that the former Sunderland star was extremely unhappy with the circumstances surrounding the permanent deal, claiming it was finalized without his prior approval. This led to Ekwah refusing to play or train for Eirik Horneland’s side, resulting in a breakdown in relations and a long-running legal saga.

He has not played a single minute of senior football since May, was placed on furlough, and is currently training individually with Ekwah, believing himself to be a free agent having opted to terminate his contract with the club in October. The contractual disagreement led St Etienne to launch a legal case against him, with club officials disputing the validity of his claims and contract termination.

With Ekwah also steadfast in his belief that he is a free agent and a solution hopefully on the horizon, Rangers could potentially land a bargain deal for a player who has been compared to Tottenham Hotspur ace Yves Bissouma due to his physical stature and playmaking ability from deep. Udinese are also said to be monitoring his situation ahead of the transfer window reopening.

Meanwhile, Rangers have ‘no interest’ in letting forward Djeidi Gassama leave Ibrox next month, after it was claimed that La Liga outfit Villarreal were eyeing up a January offer for the Mauritanian-born star last week.

According to Italian transfer expert Rudy Galetti, the Spanish giants had identified the former Sheffield Wednesday man as a ‘dynamic, fast, and creative’ talent that fitted perfectly into their style of play, adding that they were mulling over a January offer for the player, who has scored six goals since he arrived in Glasgow last summer.

Gers boss Rohl is desperate to keep him at the club, though, and views Gassama as a player that he can’t afford to lose. According to a report from Pete O’Rourke, the German boss is keen to move on several players in January to revamp his squad for the second half of the campaign, but selling the former French youth international to boost funds is not on the agenda.

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